Water purifying and cooling system



Feb. 23, 1937- w. R. HILDEBRAND Filed March 5, 1933 WATER PURIFYING ANDCOOLING SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY.

Feb. 23, 1937. w. R. HILDEBRAND 2,071,531

WATER PURIFYING AND COOLING SYSTEM Filed March 3, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2z a wow 5 a 6 a ll 4 a Q 0 6 w 4 4 6 5 E Q 6 9 v A v Lalhh 6 M 2 a 3 \n4 HHAHWHHWMW JHHWW F 1 0 0 M A I kl ,HH Mu wwww A! d :XVEXTO-R. Mum/ 7a? fikfiEiF/M fl ATTORNEY W flag.

Patented Feb. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in Water purifying and coolingsystems and like devices.

My invention relates more particularly to an improved water purifyingand cooling system for homes, oflices, restaurants, apartment buildingsand many other places, and has for its purpose the provision of a simplecooling apparatus and water outlet whereby the ordinary hydrant watermay be directed through a cooling device associated with an ordinaryrefrigerator and returned to a faucet at the sink.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved apparatus of theclass described that will be easily and simply constructed and which maybe installed by an ordinary unskilled workman.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved constructionof faucet arrange ment whereby a special cold drinking water faucet maybe placed at a point adjacent the usual hot and cold water faucets in asink.

A further object is to provide a simple and effective circulating systemfrom the above mentioned faucet to a refrigerator and back.

A further object is to provide an improved cooling and circulatingapparatus easily and quickly installed in the ordinary refrigerator.

.A further object is to provide an improved faucet construction having athird faucet for cooled drinking water.

The purpose of my improved water cooling system is to provide practicaland permanent means for drawing cold water for drinking purposes at thekitchen sink or similar modern sanitary .fixture, all in harmony withthe practicability and appearance of these fixtures. Thus, I will beable to eliminate the use of ice cubes for cooling drinking water, whichhave a special use, but which do not solve the problem of a permanentand ready drinking Water provision for home and omce use.

My improved water cooling system solves the major problem of electricrefrigeration in that it is capable of cooling the drinking water by theuse of a minimum amount of energy and the provision of a drinking waterwhich is of a temperature that is most desirable for drinking purposes.

All these and other objects and advantages of my invention will be moreapparent from the following description wherein reference may be had tothe accompanying two sheets of drawings upon Which Fig. 1 is adiagrammatic view in perspective of a cooling and purifying systemembodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar diagrammatic view in perspective of a system whichdoes not employ a purifying unit;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View showing a special plug which I employ with myapparatus;

Fig. 4 is a plan sectional view of a special fitting which I employ withthe form of my invention shown in Fig. 2; i

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the lines 55 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view showing the installation of the coolingapparatus in a refrigerator.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1, the regular servicepipes l0 and I2, used in the home or office building, may extend throughthe wall at the sink or any other desirable location and be associatedwith the outlet faucet arrangement I wherein a valve member I6 controlsthe flow of the hot water and a valve member I8 controls the flow of thecold water to a suitable spout member 20.

The cold water inlet line l2 may enter a fitting 29 interposed betweenthe valve l8 and the inlet to the line l2. The fitting 2!! together withthe upright pipe members 22 and 24,. base member 26, and filter F may beconstructed in accordance with the disclosure of my Patent No.1,896,310, issued on February '7, 1933, which discloses in detail theconstruction of the fitting 20 and the purpose and arrangement of theparts associated therewith. The base 26, however, may be modified toinclude a third valve and faucet member 28 which, as will be furtherexplained, Will be the outlet for the filtered, cooled Water.

In accordance with this construction, a pair of pipe lines 30 and 32 mayextend outwardly from the member 26, the pipe line 30 entering the lowerend of a vertical standpipe 34, and the pipe line 32 entering the lowerend of a vertical standpipe 36. The vertical standpipes may be joined attheir upper end by a suitable conduit 38 so that a continuous passagewayis formed from the base member 26 through pipe line 30, standpipe 34,conduit 38, standpipe 36 andreturn pipe line 32.

In Fig. 2, substantially the same system is illustrated except that inthis showing of the invention the filter F has been eliminated and thebase member 26 thereof has been modified to include a receptacle holder40 for a drinking glass 42 or similar object.

In Fig. 4, I have illustrated in cross-section the details ofconstruction of the base member 26 as shown in Fig. 2, it beingunderstood that the base membershown in Fig. 1 will be similar to thedevice shown in Fig. 4, except for those changes embodied inconstructing the connection with the filter, which is clearly explainedin my issued patent previously mentioned.

The base member may be formed with a passageway 44 extending outwardlyupon one side thereof and terminating in a housing portion 46 having aforwardly extending boss 48 to which the valve member 28 may be rigidlyconnected. The back wall 59 of the housing 46 may have a pair of tappedopenings 52 and 55 therein within which a pair of coupling members 56and 58 are mounted. The members 56 and 58 may be formed with a socket 60within which pipe lines 3!] and 32 are adapted to terminate. A cap nutmember 62 may enclose a suitable gasket member 64 which is adapted to befastened down over the end of the pipe line so that a rigid joint may beformed between the coupling members 56 and 58 and the pipe lines and 32.

The coupling members have a suitable passageway therein whichcommunicates with the interior of housing 46. The interior of thehousing 46 may be separated into two chambers by a wall member 68 whichis formed with a vertical bore 10. A valve member 12 is adapted to berotatably mounted in the bore 18 to establish com munication between thetwo chambers formed by means of a slot 14 formed in the valve member E2.

The valve 12 may have a handle portion 16 which has the word Coldwritten thereon and which is adapted to be so constructed that when thevalve is turned in the direction shown in Fig. 5, the communicationbetween the two chambers will be effectively closed and water enteringthrough the lines 22 and 24 must flow through the pipe line 3!) andcooling standpipes 34 and 36 before it is returned to the housing 45 tobe expelled through the valve 28.

The standpipes 34 and 36 may be of any desirable construction embodyinga funnel-shaped lower portion 80 and. an upper funnel-shaped portion 82.The purpose of this construction is to eliminate the possibility of anysediment lodging therein and to keep the entire body of water containedin the standpipe circulating from bottom to top and from top to bottomto produce the greatest coolness for the minimum amount of refrigeratingenergy expended. Thus to prevent sedimentation and to produce an evenflow through the standpipes they are provided with the comically-shapedinlet and outlets described.

The fact that the standpipes are vertically positioned in therefrigerator is desirable because it ensures constant movement of thewater by reason of the difference in the temperature at different timesand in the different parts of the refrigerator, the warmer waterconstantly seeking the upper part of the standpipe and the cooler waterdescending. This motion is due partly to the temperature within therefrigerator and, of course, is also due to the inflow of warmer waterthrough the bottom of the refrigerator and the mixing of the colderWater contained in the standpipes.

It is preferable to use standpipes in pairs, not only to produce theintensest cooling but also to keep on hand a sufficient supply of waterfor drinking as well as to provide for outlet at the bottom of therefrigerator near the inlet, whereby both inlet and outlet arepositioned so close together that the installation or removal of thestandpipes is efficiently and expeditiously accomplished. It is ofcourse possible to provide three or four, or more standpipes, dependingupon the amount of cooled water desired; but in carrying out myinvention I prefer to provide the standpipes in pairs due to theconvenience in assembling and constructing them in this manner in therefrigerator.

In Fig. 3, I have illustrated a special plug, the purpose of which is toclose up outlets through the couplers 55, or to close the outlets at theconnections 83 and 85 to the cooling standpipes. This plug 81 may be ofthe same diameter as the pipe lines 36 and 32 and thus it is a simplematter to insert the same in the socket 60 of the coupler and screw downthe connecting nut 62 to force the gasket 64 against the wall of theplug 81, thus positively ensuring a leakproof joint. By the use of theseplugs, it is a simple matter to install or remove a water cooling systemof the type described. It is further simple to remove the standpipes orto remove any desired pipe connections when it is necessary to clean orrepair the apparatus.

By the provision of the valve member 12, it is believed to be obviousthat when it is not desired to cool the water but rather only to filterthe same, the circulation of the water through the standpipes can beeffectively prevented by the opening of the valve 12. The closing of thevalve will again result in the directing of the water flow through thestandpipes for cooling purposes.

While I have illustrated and described the invention with specialreference to a construction wherein a cooling unit containing only twostandpipes is shown, it is of course understood that as many may beemployed as desired. I do not wish to be limited to any of the detailedconstructions shown; rather what I desire to secure and protect byLetters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a water cooling system the combination of a Water supply pipe, afitting, vertical parallel pipes extending upwardly therefrom,connecting means joining said parallel pipes, a pair of standpipeshaving their upper ends connected together, a conduit extending to saidstandpipes from said connecting means and connected to the lower end ofone of same, a return pipe to said connecting means from saidstandpipes, connected to the lower end of the other standpipe, meansforming an outlet from said return conduit, and means external of thestandpipes for cooling the standpipes.

2. The combination of a water purifying and cooling system with a watercirculating system including a conduit communicating with a service pipeinlet, a purifier, said conduit communicating therewith, a refrigerator,a pair of standpipes therein, a conduit extending from said purifier tosaid standpipes and another conduit extending from said standpipes backto said purifier, and a valved outlet for the last mentioned conduit atthe purifier, and means for establishing a by-pass fluid passageway fromthe purifier to the valved outlet by-passing said standpipes.

3. The combination of a water purifier and a water cooling systemincluding a conduit communicating with a cold water service pipe inletand fitting associated therewith, a refrigerator, 2. pair of standpipestherein, said standpipes having frusto-conically shaped upper and lowerends and being connected together at their upper ends, a conduitextending from said fitting to said standpipes and another conduitextending from said standpipes back to said fitting, and connected tothe lower ends of the standpipes, and a valved outlet for said lastmentioned conduit at the fitting, and means for establishing a bypassfluid passageway from the purifier to the valved outlet by-passing saidstandpipes.

4. The combination of a water cooling system with a water circulatingsystem including a conduit communicating with a cold water service pipeinlet and fitting associated therewith, a refrigerator, a pair ofcylindrical standpipes therein, said standpipes having frusto-conicallyshaped upper and lower ends and being connected together at their upperends, a conduit extending from said fitting to the lower end of one ofsaid standpipes and another conduit extending from the lower end of theother standpipe back to said fitting, and a valved outlet for said lastmentioned conduit formed in the fitting.

5. The combination of a water purifying and cooling system with a watercirculating system including a conduit communicating with a service pipeinlet, a fitting to which said conduit extends, a pair of verticalparallel pipes extending upwardly therefrom, a purifier base membersecured to the upper end of said pipes, a purifier positioned thereon,means forming a passage connecting said parallel pipes, a refrigerator,a pair of vertical standpipes positioned therein, a conduit extendingfrom said purifier to said standpipes and a return conduit extendingfrom said standpipes back to said purifier, and a valved outlet for saidreturn conduit, said outlet being in said purifier base.

WILLIAM R. HILDEEBRAND.

